WEBINARS
EBF Data Blitz - New Research in Terror Management Theory
April 7, 2023
Join us for an Ernest Becker Foundation "data-blitz": researchers will present short 5-minute presentations demonstrating the diversity and creativity of current research in Terror Management Theory (TMT), the field of research derived from Ernest Becker's work. At the end, there will be time for Q&A.
Click here for researcher bios and a short description of each talk.
Ernest Becker, Otto Rank, and Psychotherapy
Feb 10, 2023
Join the Ernest Becker Foundation for a discussion with the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis on the overlap of Ernest Becker, Otto Rank, and psychotherapy.
Ernest Becker and Education
November 16, 2022
Join us as we talk to three teachers who have used Becker's ideas in the classroom. They discuss how students react to the material, what impact it has had, and why they believe these ideas are important and helpful in a teaching context. Panel discussion followed by Q&A.
Gun Violence
September 13, 2022
Incorporating Becker’s work on death anxiety, the following experts discuss how we can better understand our underlying polarization and lack of agreement on gun policy in light of our fear of mortality. Gun violence represents one of the most contentious (and deadly) issues of our time. We hope that this knowledge can help create deeper understanding, empathy, and dialogue.
Death Anxiety and Abortion
June 22, 2022
The recent leak of an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights has reignited one of our nation’s most divisive political struggles. Join us for a discussion on the relationship between death anxiety and opposition to abortion, as well as ideas on how to how to more successfully engage people with differing views on this subject.
Death Anxiety and the Russia/Ukraine War
May 20, 2022
Join us as we discuss the psychological implications of war and how the actions of its leaders can be related to death anxiety.
Death Anxiety and Religious Belief
December 7, 2021
This webinar featured the panelists from this issue who have used Ernest Becker’s work to complement their own religious understanding and worldview. The discussion was followed by an audience Q&A. We hope you enjoy this often-overlooked application of Beckerian thought.
What's Race Got to do With Climate Justice?
May 27, 2021
Sarah Jaquette Ray, author of A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet, discusses with James Rowe, professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria, how existential insights are essential to our understanding of the climate crisis, and how race is an integral part of climate justice. The discussion is followed by an audience Q&A.
Discrimination and Racial Justice: Allissa Richardson in Dialogue with Sheldon Solomon
March 17, 2021
Dr. Allissa Richardson, Assistant Professor of Journalism at USC Annenberg and author of Bearing Witness While Black: African Americans, Smartphones and the New Protest #Journalism, discusses with Dr. Sheldon Solomon, Professor of Psychology at Skidmore College and co-founder of Terror Management Theory, how TMT informs her work, followed by audience Q&A.
Death Anxiety and Police Culture
March 03, 2021
The EBF partnered with the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) to present a webinar exploring how death anxiety impacts dynamics between police and community. In this webinar we discuss research and theory that relates to policing and police culture, and the crucial relationship between our mortality and our behaviors.
The Courage of Everyday Heroism, Q&A With Dan Liechty
November 20, 2020
What does Becker mean by everyday heroes? Why is it harder in today’s society to feel like a hero as an average person? What can we do to show up as a hero in our everyday lives, especially in light of social justice movements happening today? View this webinar with EBF's former Vice President, Daniel Liechty, PhD, moderated by Patti Kwok, PhD, ARNP, to discuss the Beckerian concept of "heroism."
This Mortal Life: Political Manipulation
October 26, 2020
How is death anxiety manipulated in political campaigns, and how can it help us understand the current state of politics? Our panelists were Brian Burke, clinical psychologist at Fort Lewis College, Sheldon Solomon, social psychologist at Skidmore college, and moderator Morgan Rutkowski, a senior political science and psychology major at Fort Lewis College.
This Mortal Life: Indigenous Culture
September 21, 2020
Q&A panel discussion about Indigenous culture and mortality with brothers Sheldon and Lamar Spotted Elk, members of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, and Tanya Ball, Métis Nation member, moderated by Lindsey Harvell-Bowman, Professor of Psychology and Communication at James Madison University, and member of the Osage Nation.
Sheldon Solomon Q&A
July 18, 2020
General Q&A session with Sheldon Solomon, Professor of Psychology at Skidmore College and co-founder of Terror Management Theory, moderated by Peace and Human Rights Activist Michael T. McPhearson. Questions focused on criminal justice and police culture, our current pandemic, and the political polarization with regards to all of the above, among other topics.
This Mortal Life: Covid-19, TMT, and Existential Concerns
June 5, 2020
How does constant awareness of our mortality during this pandemic affect us? In this webinar, we discuss the current pandemic with three researchers who study mortality and human behavior—Sheldon Solomon, Lindsey Harvell-Bowman, and Kenneth Vail.